Canadians second, third in Val d’Isere

Osborne-Paradis picks up second medal of season

After a slow couple of weeks following the holidays the
Canadian Alpine Ski Team found its groove again this past weekend, adding two
more medals to their growing collection. Athletes who finished off the podium
also managed to come close in some races, and finish in the top-30 in others to
earn key FIS points.

The highlight of the weekend was Erik Guay’s and Manuel
Osborne-Paradis’s double podium in the downhill at Val d’Isere, France on
Saturday.

For Guay, who finished just 0.26 seconds back of
Pierre-Emmanuel Dalcin, a silver medal was redemption. After winning four
medals in his first and early second season with the national team, he has been
held back by a series of frustrating knee injuries. Finally healthy this
season, his results have steadily improved from week to week.

“When I came here I just felt really focused and comfortable on
my skis,” he said. “It’s been great that the team has been doing so well this
year and having so much success that we can get two guys on the podium in one
day, that’s pretty incredible.

“We’ve had medals in four disciplines this year so there are no
more reasons to question us. I think we are just getting deeper and deeper.
Everyone is really focused and motivated and if it’s not the speed team getting
podiums it’s the technical guys. So it’s just really fun to be on the team
right now.”

Osborne-Paradis, who trained and raced with the Whistler Mountain
Ski Club until two seasons ago, placed a close third behind Guay to earn his
second World Cup downhill medal of the season. His first medal was a silver at
Lake Louise Winterstart.

Although he has struggled to get back into the top-10 since
that performance, Osborne-Paradis never stopped trying.

“You go through some races and go back to the drawing board to
try to figure things out,” he said. “It’s great to feel like this after a race.

“When I started skiing, that’s what I wanted to do — get on the
podium at a World Cup race. This just proves that I can do it and that’s the
best feeling.”

The last time two Canadians stood on the same podium was in
2005 when Genevieve Simard and Allison Forsyth placed second and third in a
giant slalom in Italy.

The two additional medals brings Canada’s medal haul to eight,
two-thirds of the way towards Alpine Canada’s goal of 12 medals this season.
The team also has the goal of two medals at the Alpine World Championships.